With a playoff spot secured, the Creston Valley Thunder Cats have set their sights a bit higher: staying at the top of their division.
“I think we’re on course for what we wanted to do in the regular season,” said head coach Josh Hepdtich. “We set a goal for the playoffs, and now we’ve set a goal to win the division. … We’re trying to increase the spread and lock up home-ice advantage.”
The Thunder Cats are currently at the top of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League’s Eddie Mountain Division, with 58 points and five games in hand over the Kimberley Dynamiters, in second with 47 points. The Fernie Ghostriders are right behind with 46, and the Columbia Valley Rockies and Golden Rockets trail with, respectively, 31 and 30 points.
The Thunder Cats added two wins for an eight-game streak on the weekend, hosting and defeating the Columbia Valley Rockies 2-1 on Friday. Their last game, in Invermere, resulted in a 5-4 overtime win for Creston.
“We knew they were going to come and play with a lot more confidence than they had before” said Hepditch.
But the Thunder Cats had a strong start, outshooting the Rockies 20-9 in the first period, with Jesse Collins (power play) and Logan Styler scoring the Thunder Cats’ only goals of the game. The Rockies’ only goal was scored with 46 seconds left in the first period.
On Saturday, the Thunder Cats visited Kimberley, where they came away with a 4-2 victory after outshooting the Dynamiters 43-19. Brandon Formosa scored in the first period, followed by Styler adding a second on a power play in the second. Two goals by Kimberley tied the score by the end of the second, but that didn’t deter the Thunder Cats.
“We seemed to have lots of jump when we got to the third period,” said Hepditch. “I don’t think they could match our intensity.”
Formosa earned a hat trick, scoring at 9:52 and 1:46 in the third period.
The Thunder Cats have a busy week ahead, with five games in eight days, starting with a visit from Fernie on Friday. The Ghostriders picked up a few new players at the trade deadline, so Hepditch isn’t quite sure what to expect.
“That’s definitely going to be a key game,” said Hepditch. “They’re not far behind us in the standings, so that’s going to be a game we’re going to want to win for sure.”
On Saturday, the Thunder Cats head to Castlegar to take on the Rebels, returning to the West Kootenay again on Tuesday to play against the Beaver Valley Nitehawks, to whom they lost a game earlier in the season. The Thunder Cats then visit Fernie again on Jan. 30 before hosting Castlegar on Jan. 31.
The team still has a month to go in the regular season, but Hepditch said the Thunder Cats have a good combination of experienced and new players to help hang on to the division’s top spot.
“A lot say that, but we really do feel it with the leadership we have,” he said.